The Path to Enlightenment (Kazu, NK)

Nausicaa Nazar sat and waited.

Her eyes were closed, and looming form relaxed. Her hands were rested upon the back of her knees. The field she sat upon was grassy and flat, a few stalls here and there taking advantage of the admittedly very easy to build on landscape. None bothered her, though- they had their own business to attend to. The tattoos encircling her right arm began to glow with ethereal light as she sank deeper and deeper into her inner world. Suddenly, her eyes flew open. They too glowed with the same energy, though it was of a flickering variety. Her bloodline- the Arahant- was flowing actively within her, enriching her chakra flow and thoughts.

But it didn't last. After around ten seconds, the ability faded slowly. After fifteen, there was no trace of her former power- her former... enlightenment. She sighed and stood up, stretching her muscles and dusting off her clothing. Perhaps some food would do her some good. She approached the nearest noodle bar and sat down on a rickety wooden seat that creaked beneath her weight.

"Hello, may I have some udon?" she slid the appropriate amount of ryo down the counter, and when it was picked up and placed behind the counter, the salesperson replied.

"Of course." he called to another behind him, who nodded and began to put some thick wheat noodles into a pot. "Say, are you one of them ninja types? I saw you doing some of that funky chakra stuff earlier..."

"No!..." she exclaimed, slamming a fist down on the counter. Pause. "...I mean, no. I'm not a ninja. I'm a monk." it was in understanding that he nodded next.

"I see." he said. "Well, whatever you're doing up here, I hope you're successful." she gave a wry smile in response, tilting her head.

"...Thanks."

WC: 301
Total WC: 301

The walk into the bazaar that had been the black market had been long and arduous. His feet ached at the single fact that his walk had been so long...yet he wasn't complaining. From his old home through the treacherous mountains he had staked a long venture. His clothing flowed in the wind as he tried to address the situation of them. His clothing had been multilayered, each one showing some form of distinguished style from a family long gone until he had finally fixed the last layer of pale-lilac samurai pants and woven robes. The dark haired male jingled with a certain flair due to his hair covering most of his face and with no head band one could not tell if he had been a ninja or not.

His one giveaway had been the sword, tied and bandaged up to the hilt on the blade until the very edges of the handle which bore a strange set of chains on it. Whether or not he had been a samurai was unknown, but he carried an air of mystery around himself. Other than the norm he walked around quietly until a soft rumble escaped his stomach. Here enters Masaki to the same udon stall as his tall frame looked down through the only eye one could see visibly. Another key note about him were the faint black markings one could see running down his neck. Many observed them trying to figure out if that had been the only spot, but when he spoke it was simply...odd," One of these bowls of Udon, large with extra broth please," the small amount of ryo landing on the counter and his right hand, covered by a glove sitting just on top of it.

She glanced at the odd boy sitting next to her. "Greetings, traveler," she began. "May I ask what brings you to a place such as this?" Regardless of his answer, she would nod calmly. If he refused to answer, she would tilt her head and shrug. Oh well, as long as he didn't belong to one of the hidden villages- if he was, well. She'd burn that bridge when she got to it. Her tattoo on her right bicep seemed to shift under the light and her eyes glow for a second as she studied him. What an odd specimen he was. Yet- she wanted to learn more. That is, if he was willing to share.

WC: 116
Total WC: 417

For a moment he stood there looking at the male with his singular visible eye, the man and young rouge exchanging glances before the male simply slid the ryo from the counter and placed it somewhere the others couldn't see. For the moment he had not acknowledged the young female's presence, not because he was ignoring her but simply because...well he didn't notice yet. The time ticked slowly as he stood there and looked down hearing a voice that graced his ears and his eye turned onto the female. A single amber eye looking into hers before he simply smiled," Sup?," for someone raised in the country, his voice came off directly as such but was he hiding his true intentions under a facade? Or was this really him?

Her question graced his ears as he smiled and pulled something from the throes of his clothing, a two piece bandaged item forming into his hands as he smiled once more," Just to repair this little one back to its former glory. Can't go adventurin if your weapon ain't together right? Now what're you doing here if you don't mind me asking?," his eye still floating on the female for a moment. Maybe it was simply the light playing tricks upon his eye, but he thought he saw something..Nah. If he had been using both eyes he could have made something out, but simply due to the positioning of his hair covering the mysterious side of his face that it had been on he let it be. For the moment however he sat and looked back for a moment. No one ever really knew what one could be thinking, so maybe this would be a good experience for him.

"I'm a monk. It is part of my rite of passage to travel around the world." she said simply. It wasn't a lie, but neither was it the full truth. She turned back to her udon and took a bite. The broth burned her mouth, but she ate it anyway. The burn felt refreshing, in a manner of speaking. Perhaps it was her fire nature talking... Nausicaa turned back to the boy, and the object held in his hands. Maybe if she unlocked her steel release, she could...? ...Nah, that'd be dumb. "Good luck with repairs. I remember seeing a blacksmith a few stalls down, though I know not if he is reliable." She stirred her chopsticks in the food she ordered. Little puffs of steam rose up, and her eyes trailed skywards with it. Awkward silence followed. "What's your opinion on village ninja?" She blurted suddenly. It was an odd question, coming out of the blue, but it was clear that something heavy resided on his answer.

WC: 168
Total WC: 585

A monk huh? His eye gave her one more good look to drink in each feature for a future reference of sorts in case he ran into the female again. She certainly gave off a monkish vibe that made the male consider probing more and like the saying goes curiosity is a dangerous drug. Instead he slid the item back into his kimono had relaxed as the steel pressed against his side, of course the blade part had been dulled quite a bit so it couldn't cut him. When she mentioned a blacksmith in the area that meant a forge. A forge meant the necessary materials to make this once proud blade whole again, and like that he grabbed his bowl and smiled," Thank you m'lady for giving such useful information. Unfortunately I won't need the blacksmith. Just his tools and work area for a few hours to achieve what I need to. I'm no blacksmith mind you but I do know ever crease and fold in this blade so I can repair it faster and more efficiently than he probably could," that wasn't a cocky statement. It was almost as if the blade itself was him, well in a sense it was his duty.

Slowly he began to drink from the bowl as small portions of the broth slipped into his mouth and disappeared into the void that was his stomach. The heat of the liquid didn't bother him too much because he was a little too hungry to notice, but once the female had asked him the question he removed the bowl slightly from his lips and used his free hand to wipe away the remnants of the broth," My thoughts on them? Well i've only met a few and some only think of those without a home to be bandits and dangerous. Truth be told they are rather erratic and tend to be too subservient as opposed to those who live freely. Neither hate nor love them to be honest. Though you wouldn't mind showing me to this blacksmith would you?," he'd eat on the way if she would have shown him and if not...well he'd eat while walking regardless.

She nodded at his answer and relaxed. Apparently, it was the right one, or something close to it. She nodded and took a final bite of food before pushing the bowl back and stretching. Then, she walked down the street head turned to face behind her every so often. Should he choose to follow, she would walk on the left side of the road, eying little stores and shops that caught her eye as she went. Eventually, she settled on a building with a kanji printed on the door so worn down that it was impossible to make out. Thick clouds of smoke rose above the roof, and a smelter was visibly grafted to the side of the building. This was it. She turned to him (going on the assumption he followed), and gestured to the building. "The blacksmith should be here this time of day. If not, he is likely visiting his brother at the lumber mill. If you need anything, let me know."

WC: 165
Total WC: 750

A smile popped up on his face as the two slowly meandered to the blacksmith with a simple bowl in tow, his eye going from it to the street and back to the girl for a moment or more before simply paying attention to where he had been going. Suffice to say that Masaki had been quite good at being able to multi-task pretty well, especially when it came to things like food and weaponry. The walk the two of them were currently engaged on allowed him to finish his bowl, tossing the wooden chopsticks into the trash as he passed and kept the bowl with him. It would be an essential tool while on the road and knowing him he would probably stop to get some water or something. With the arrival of the two into the blacksmith's quarters he smiled knowing that the male was not here and instantly went to work. Sitting the bowl down onto the counter, he hopped over it and soon began his work.


(Since i had already began the reforging of the blade in another topic we'll timeskip a bit)

After a few hours he came out, dirty and sweaty from the work he had just completed and smiled a bit as he had shown her the finished product and sheathed it along with a few other things that he wanted. Picking up the bowl he would have found a faucet and filled it to the brim before slowly downing the water. Something his new friend would undoubtedly be able to see are the now showing markings running down his neck and toward his back and lower arm and then the crown jewel? His eye which had been previously covered. The markings sort of closed in on this singular eye, the unnatural red hue of the eye slowly pulsing as if it was glowing, but in reality it couldn't have been. The moment he had noticed all of it was showing he slowly let his hair down before the eye was forever lost to the sight of others.

Mid Thread Claim:

Claiming the reconstruction of Stormhowl and using 947 of my current wc (1297) leaving me with 350 words

Approved

((So where do you want to go with this thread?))

Nausicaa stood sentinel as she waited for her acquaintance to finish crafting his blade. She tilted her head and began to meditate, eyes wide open as she focused on her surroundings. Her eyes and tattoo began to glow subtly, and then brightly as she came closer and closer to unlocking her bloodline, the Arahant. Slowly she stood up, then walked around. The glow shook and dimmed a little bit, but it remained. Next, she tried running, climbing some buildings, and even a spirit gun towards the sky. She stopped when the blacksmith's wife yelled at her to get down, but once she did, she looked to her arm and saw the glow was still there. Yes! This was the type of progress she was expecting.

WC: 125
Total WC: 875